Method of and means for forming a link reinforcement



Nov. 14, 1939. E. A. CONNER ET-AL 2,180,100

METHOD oF AND MEANS Fon FORMING A LINK' REINFORCEMENT Filed June3, 1958 AT1-ORNE Patented Nov. 14, 1939 PATENT OFFICE.

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR FORMING A LINK REINFORCEMENT Edward A. Conner, Stratford, Conn., and William E. Myers, York, Pa.,

assignors to American Chain & Cable Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 3, 1938, Serial No. 211,511

13 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to a method of and means for forming and facilitatingv securing a reinforcement to a tire chain link.

This invention has for one of its'objects an improved method of forming a reinforcement for a tire chain link adapted to be welded thereto by uniformly strong and secure welds, and which will present, when secured to a curb link at points adjacent its road engaging lobes diverging traction and anti-skid devices extending downwardly below the road engaging lobes of the link and laterally beyond `the sides of the link.

Another object of this invention is the provision of means for and a method of forming from a straight piece of preferably round wire a reinforcement adapted tolie between and partially surround and be welded to the side strands of a link and to have its ends beyond the weld diverging downwardly and laterally.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means for and method of forming a reinforcement making it feasible to use and to secure to a link by welding a bar made from heavier stock than that of the link and of a diameter of greater length than the distance between the side strands of the link, the method consisting inproviding thebar with strand receiving recesses and providing eachA strand receiving recess with a convex rounded surface or rib of the same radius as that of the link stock, to partially surround the side strand of the link at the point at which the reinforcement is to be secured.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a cross chain reinforced `by bars made in accordance with our invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a reinforced link;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a reinforced'link;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of a pair of dies with a bar in position for the forming operation;

Fig. 5 is a topplan View of the lower die;

Fig. 6 shows the operated position of the dies and a formed reinforcement;

Fig. 'l is a vertical section on the line 'l-l of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a Vertical section through a reinforce- -ment showing a detail of construction;

i Fig. 9 shows a reinforcement positioned on the side strands of the link prior to the welding op-k of modified dies; and

Fig. 11 is a view corresponding to the views shown in Figs. 6 and 10 of still further modified dies.

A section of a chain, Fig. l, provided with reinforcements produced by our means and method comprises a series of links I2 preferably of the curb type. Each link is provided with a reinforcing V-shaped bar i3 extending diagonally of the link and having its legs welded to the side strands of the link adjacent its road engaging lobes with its ends I4 and I5 projecting downn wardly below the road engaging lobes of the link and laterally beyond the sides of the link to provide diverging traction and anti-skid caulks. These reinforcements are secured to the links by welding, preferably by the electric resistance method.

'I'he reinforcement i3 is formed from a short straight piece of preferably round stock iS, Fig. 4 which is placed between dies Il and i8, the upper die being wedge-shaped with the apex of the wedge extending normal to the drawing in Fig. 4. The lower die i8 is provided with a transversely extending groove the upper edges of the side walls of which are notched at 2| Figs. 4 and 5, to receive the apex of the die Il as in Figs. 6 and '7. The ends of the groove 20 incline inwardly and downwardly toward each other as indicated at 22 and 23 and the lower middle portion 24 of the groove extends along an arc preferably of fairly long radius. The groove 20 is intersected by diagonally extending ribs 25 and 26 of the same radius as the stock of the link l2 and oppositely inclined as indicated by the axial lines a and b Fig. '7 to conform to the oppositely inclined side strands of the link. These ribs are provided with intersecting recesses 21 and 28 of the same radius as that of the link stock. When the dies are forced together from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Figs. 6 and '7, a V-shaped reinforcement I3 is produced which comprises a broad apex 3i! to lit between the side strands of the link, and recesses 3| and 32 of substantially the same radius as that of the link stock with their axes relatively inclined in the same relation as the axes of the side strands of the curb link. The face of each recess is provided with a transversely extending raised convex face or rib 33, Figs. 6, 7, 8

` and 9, of substantially the same radius as the lradius of the side strand of the link.

When the reinforcement so formed is placed on la link in position for welding as shown in Fig. 9, its recesses receive the side strands of the link and the raised convex faces 33 extend transversely with respect to the side strands providing for a good contact for welding purposes, the radii of the contacting arcuate convex faces of the reinforcement and link in engagement being the same and therefore providing for an equal amount of heating of both the reinforcements and the side strands in the vicinity in which the welds are to be made. By means of this method the reinforcement prepared may readily be placed in proper position on the side strands of the link and be welded thereto producing strong welds which will be substantially uniform for the same link and for successive links.

The reinforcements may be formed slightly differently as shown at i3d in Fig. 10 in which the upper die Via is provided with horizontal iiat faces 35 and 36 which flatten the lower corners of the projecting ends of the reinforcement, such as shown at 3l and 38 in Fig. 9, forcing the metal inwardly into the ends of the reinforcement which constitute the traction and antiskidding caulks. rihis reduces the initial height of the caulks without sacrificing wearing material.

The reinforcements may be formed as shown at 13b in Fig. 1l. For this purpose the upper die IIb is provided with relatively wide flat faces 35a and 36a, and the lower die ib is provided with walls Lid and Il! which restrain the flow of the metal outwardly, that is lengthwise of the reinforcement i317. The inner faces of these walls are preferably concave as indicated at 42 and i3 constituting portions of the walls of cylinders having parallel vertical axes. By this method the outer lateral faces of the ends of the reinforcements will be made cylindrical and the road engaging faces of the reinforcements will be substantially circular.

When the several forms of our reinforcements are provided by our method for curb links of the same size, the reinforcements l3b produced by the dies in Fig. 1l will be lower and wider than the reinforcements Ita produced by the dies in Fig. l0 which in turn will be lower and Wider than the reinforcements i3b produced by the dies shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 7. The stability of a curb link is not appreciably affected by the use of our reinforcements as each form of reinforcement while it increases the effective height of the link also increases the effective width of the link substantially proportionately. A link reinforced by the reinforcement |319 is more stable than a link reinforced by reinforcement 13a which in turn is more stable than a link reinforced by reinforcement I3. method we not only hold the overall height of reinforced links to a minimum but also make the use of welded reinforcements practical by obtaining uniformly strong welds. Our method makes it possible to use reinforce-ments made of bar stock of a diameter of approximately the same length as the distance between the side strands of a link. We are, therefore, enabled to use relatively small links made of relative light stock to produce chains which will last longer in service as the road engaging lobes of the links are more effectively protected against wear and the link against spreading and crushing.

While we have disclosed several forms of dies for use in carrying out our method, it is to be understood that our method is not limited to the use of dies even though it is the preferred means employed in carrying out our method. It is, therefore, our intention to reserve the right to make such changes in the method and means By our.

employed as fall within the principle of the invention disclosed and the scope of the patented claims.

We claim:

1. The method of forming a V-shaped reinforcement from a straight bar for a link of loop form which consists in bending said bar into V form and in providing the outer faces of the legs of the V with recesses conforming Ato and extending in the direction of those portions of the side strands of the link to which they are to be welded.

2. The method of forming a V-bar from a straight bar to be welded to the side strands of a link which consists in bending said straight bar into a V-bar, in providing the outer faces of the legs of said V-bar with recesses conforming to and extending in the direction of those portions of the side strands to which the legs of said V-bar are to be welded and in flattening and spacing the inner sides of the legs of said V-bar.

3. The method of forming a V-bar from a straight bar to be welded to the side strands of a link which consists in bending said straight bar into a V-bar, in providing the outer faces of the legs of said V-bar with recesses conforming to and extending in the direction of those portions of the side strands to which the legs of said V-bar are welded, in iiattening and spacy ing the inner sides of the legs of said V-bar, and in flattening the inner edges of the ends of the legs of said V-bar to produce fiat road engaging faces.

4. The method of forming a V-bar from a straight bar to be welded to the side strands of a link which consists in bending said straight bar into a V-bar, in providing the outer faces of the legs of said V-bar with recesses conforming to and extending in the direction of those portions of the side strands to which the legs of said V- bar are to be Welded, in flattening and spacing the inner sides of the legs of said V-bar, in fiattening the inner edges of the ends of the legs of said V-bar to produce fiat road engaging faces, and in rounding the outer edges of the ends of the legs of said V-bar.

5. The method of forming a V-shaped bar from a straight bar for welding to the opposite side strands of a link which consists in bending said straight bar into a V-bar, in forming recesses in the outer faces of the legs of said V- bar conforming to and extending in the direction of those portions of the side strands of the link to which the legs of said V-bar are to be welded, and in providing the faces of said recesses with convex ribs of the same curvature as that of the link stock and extending in a direction at an angle to the axis of the side strands.

5. The method of preparing a V-shaped bar provided with recesses in the outer sides of its legs to receive the side strands of a link, for welding the same to said side strands, which consists in providing said recesses with transversely extending rounded ribs of substantially the same radius as that of the side strands.

7. Means for forming a V-shaped reinforcement from a straight bar comprising a pair of dies, one of said dies being of V cross section and the other of said dies being provided with a transversely extending generally V-shaped groove, and a transverse rib in each leg of said groove.

8. Means for forming a V-shaped reinforcement from a straight bar comprising a pair of dies, one of said dies being of V cross section and the other of said dies being provided with a transversely extending generally V-shaped groove, and a transverse rib in each leg of said groove, each rib being provided With a groove extending transversely thereof.

9. Means for forming a V-shaped reinforcement to nt between the side strands of a curb link and to be Welded thereto, comprising a pair of dies, one of said dies being V-shaped in cross section and the other die being provided With a transversely extending generally V-shaped groove, the legs of said groove being intersected by raised diagonally extending oppositely inclined ribs of the same radius and curvature and extending in the same direction as said side strands. v

10. Means for forming a V-shaped reinforcement to t between the side strands of a curb link and to be welded thereto, comprising a pair of dies, one of said dies being of V-shaped cross section and the other die being provided With a transversely extending generally V-shaped groove, the legs of said groove being intersected by raised diagonally extending oppositely inclined ribs of the same radius and curvature and extending in the same direction as said side strands, and each of said ribs being intersected by a transversely extending groove of the same radius and curvature as said side strands.

11. Means for` forming a V-shaped reinforcement to t between the side strands of a curb link and to be Welded thereto, comprising a pair of dies, one of said dies having a V-shaped projection and the other die being provided with a transversely extending generally V-shaped groove, the legs of said groove being intersected by raised diagonally extending oppositely inclined ribs of the same radius and curvature and extending in the same direction as said side strands, and said first mentioned die member being also provided With at faces on opposite sides of said V-shaped projection.

12. Means for forming a V-shaped reinforcement to fit between the side strands of a curb link and to be Welded thereto, comprising a pair of dies, one of said dies being provided With a V-shaped projection and the other die being provided with a transversely extending generally V-shaped groove, the legs of said grooves being intersected by raised diagonally extending oppositely inclined ribs of the same radius and curvature and extending in the same direction as said side strands, said first mentioned die being also provided with flat faces on opposite sides of said V-shaped projection, yand said second mentioned die being provided with anges cooperating With said flat faces of the rst mentioned die.

13. The method of preparing a V-shaped bar to be welded to the side strands of a link With its apex extending between the side strands of the link, which consists in providing recesses in the outer sides of the legs of the V-shaped bar shaped to` conform to and fit the opposed inner faces and the bottomfaces of the side strands of the link.

EDWARD A. CONNER. WILLIAM E. MYERS. 

